[Assessing tendencies and motivations of female volunteers for cosmetic surgery]

Today, plastic surgeries are among the most popular types of surgeries worldwide, and Iran is placed as one of the tops on the list of plastic surgeries. Considering these facts, this study was designed to evaluate the volunteers' motivations, their attitudes and informational sources performed in Panzdah Khordad Educational Hospital, in Tehran, during 2005-2006. The study was conducted on a crosssectional basis. All patients undergoing plastic surgeries, and referred to this center during that time, were evaluated and necessary information was recorded. All the findings were evaluated statistically and the results were presented by descriptive and analytical statistics. 75 patients were studied in this research. The average age of the participants was 33 +/- 13 [minimum of 17 and maximum of 63 years old]. Rhinoplasty [52%] and abdominoplasty [8%], were the most and less common surgeries done. The major motivators were friends, relatives and classmates [40%] and the least important ones were magazines and journals [4%]. 10.7 percent of the participants described the posture and function of their target organs perfect, but they planned to improve it by the aesthetic surgeries. No relation was found between the motivations and type of the surgeries and educational stand, but the motivations were dependent on patients' occupation, marital status and attitude towards the target organ

[Changes in essential oil content and yield of basil in response to different levels of nitrogen and plant density]

Basil [Ocimum basilicum L.] is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant which is cultivated throughout the world. Therefore, it is necessary to determine effect of important agronomical factors on quality and quantity of its volatile oil. To determine plant density and nitrogen fertilization effects on quality and quantity yield of basil. This study was done in Research farm of ACECR, Institute of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products Research in 2006 on the base of factorial experiment in randomized complete block design with four replications. All possible combinations of three plant densities [266666, 20000] and 160000 plants ha[-1]] and three nitrogen rates [0,50 or 100 kg ha[-1]] were established. The results indicated that plant density had significant effect [p < 0.01] on yield of dry herbage and oil. Plant density had no significant effect on oil content but due to the increment in dry herbage yield per unit area, oil yield had been significantly increased in higher plant density. Nitrogen fertilization had significant effect [p < 0.01] on all studied parameters. Although, nitrogen application had adverse effect on oil content, nitrogen fertilization up to 100 kg ha[-1] increased yield of dry herbage and essential oil. Such increase in essential oil yield was caused by N fertilization due to an increase in dry herbage yield. The maximum yield of dry herbage and oil were obtained in plant density of 266666 plants ha[-1] with nitrogen application of 100kgha[-1] and was the best treatment in respect of dry matter and oil yield